Issue 14—February 2009 Assembly Bwletin Cynulliad On the agenda this month: • Promotions all round—but nothing for Dafydd Wigley • Bid for new housing powers—the Assembly’s bid for further powers over housing • Welsh ambulances fail to meet targets again— a North‐South divide revealed • Severn tidal power schemes— Energy Minister unveils possibilities Language power bid by Welsh Assembly Government The Assembly Government published one of its most controversial LCOs to date at the beginning of Febru‐ ary 2009. The Labour‐Plaid government is bound by a commitment in the One Wales coalition agreement to deliver “enhanced legislative competence” on the Welsh language. If the bid is successful, legislation could be passed in the Assembly to force private businesses offering pub‐ lic services to adopt a Welsh language policy. Campaigners from Cymdeithas Yr Iaith, campaigning group for the Welsh language, said the proposals for new Assembly powers did not go far enough. Assembly Bwletin Cynulliad is a joint initiative between Grayling Political Strategy and the In‐ stitute of Welsh Affairs, bringing you the ABC of Welsh politics every month. Institute of Welsh Affairs Grayling Global 4 Cathedral Road 2 Caspian Point, Caspian Way, Cardiff, CF11 9LJ Cardiff Bay, CF10 4DQ Tel: 029 2066 0820 Tel: 029 2046 2507 www.iwa.org.uk www.grayling.com Issue 14 — February 2009 Promotions all round—but not for Dafydd Wigley Grayling Political Strategy with the Labour Chief Whip, it appears that the proc‐ ess has stalled. Speaking in December last year, Elfyn The New Year has brought a flurry of news for Welsh Llwyd, Plaid’s parliamentary leader, said that the public figures, from celebrities to politicians. In the lack of progress was not only an insult to Plaid same month that Charlotte Church gave birth to her Cymru, but also to Wales. second child, Plaid Cymru announced late this month that their frontbench spokespeople would be reshuf‐ Mr Wigley and his colleagues fled. After an apparent fallout with the Labour‐Plaid have also been leapfrogged coalition Government over the progress of the Pro‐ on the path to the House of posed Learning and Skills Measure, Janet Ryder AM Lords by two others: Peter announced that she would be “resigning her position Mandelson’s political resur‐ as Plaid’s education spokesperson with immediate rection as Baron Mandelson effect”. After the ensuing reshuffle, Mid and West of Foy, the new business sec‐ Wales Assembly Member Nerys Evans has been pro‐ retary, and the life peerage moted from backbencher to Plaid’s education spokes‐ awarded to Mervyn Davies, person in the National Assembly. Standard Chartered bank’s former chairman. Mr Davies Sadly, although Charlotte Church, Nerys Evans and Dafydd Wigley , the for‐ was awarded the peerage to Huw Lewis (having recently been tipped in the West‐ mer leader of Plaid Cymru allow him to serve in Mandel‐ ern Mail as a “probable leadership contender”) all had son’s business department. a great start to 2009, it appears that Dafydd Wigley is He was one leading banking figure to emerge from yet to receive assent to the House of Lords. He and the recent banking crisis with a strengthened reputa‐ two other party colleagues had been nominated by tion, thanks to relatively strong position of Standard Plaid Cymru to take a seat in the upper chamber. Mr. Chartered and his role as an architect of the UK bank‐ Wigley claims that the Prime Minister, Gordon ing rescue programme. Meanwhile the Plaid trio Brown, is delaying their promotion to the Lords must be wondering why a fellow Welshman and a through technical procedures. former political enemy of Gordon Brown received their ermine overnight, whereas they have yet to hear After taking the nominations through the “usual when – or even if – they will take a seat in the Lords. channels”, which included numerous discussions Bid for new housing powers Grayling Political Strategy abolish the right to buy, they will now need the Secre‐ tary of Stateʹs approval. This effective veto has been On 6th June 2007 the proposed Legislative Compe‐ the source of vigorous debate. tence Order on Affordable Housing was announced by the Welsh Assembly Government. The proposed The Deputy Minister said: “We have no intention of LCO would draw powers from Westminster to the scrapping the right to buy – all we wanted was the Assembly, and would encompass, among other flexibility to grant requests from councils to suspend things, the power of the National Assembly to sus‐ the right to buy temporarily.” She added: “I have no pend local authorities’ right to buy in areas where idea how long it will take to get the power through there is a shortage of social housing. Westminster and a follow‐on measure through the Assembly…it has been a very arduous and frustrat‐ The proposed LCO was laid by Jocelyn Davies AM, ing process.” Deputy Minister for Housing in December 2007, but it has taken until now to draft an LCO acceptable for Concern has been voiced about whether this has set a Westminster. The ongoing disagreement with West‐ dangerous precedent on future Welsh Laws, and has minster was resolved this month, with the decision infused debate on how effectively the current devolu‐ that if Ministers in the Assembly want to completely tion settlement is working. Welsh ambulances fail to meet targets again Institute of Welsh Affairs thorities were all in north Wales: Conwy (77.8 per cent), Denbighshire (75.1 per cent) and Wrexham Ambulances in many parts of Wales are not reaching (71.3). targets for the most urgent cases, according to new figures. Despite having a Welsh Assembly Govern‐ A spokesperson for the NHS trust that manages Welsh ment improvement deadline, just over half of ambu‐ ambulance services said: “A combination of factors lances (57.1 per cent) reached the most serious affected the trust’s emergency response times in No‐ ‘Category A’ calls within eight minutes. This fell short vember, including increased demand, delays at hospi‐ of the 65 per cent target. tals and the need to limit the number of overtime shifts to remain within budget, which is a statutory requirement placed upon the trust. The spokesperson “A combination of factors affected the also said: “We are continuing to work with hospital trust’s emergency response times in trusts and other NHS partners to streamline admis‐ sions to A&E departments and to manage demand in November.” different ways by developing alternative care path‐ ways to meet the needs of patients.” The figures, for November 2007‐2008, also revealed a The Welsh Assembly Government said it was north‐south divide for meeting the eight minute target “disappointed” by the performance of Welsh ambu‐ for Category A calls. The bottom three performing lo‐ lances and that it was working with the ambulance cal authorities spanned parts of south Wales: Torfaen service and Health Commission Wales to help im‐ (38.8 per cent), Monmouthshire (44.3 per cent) and prove performance. The health minister, Edwina Hart Powys (44.6). While the top three performing local au‐ AM, would receive an action plan “shortly”. Severn tidal power scheme takes a step closer Institute of Welsh Affairs The shortlist for possible Severn tidal energy projects ‐Mare. Both would was unveiled in late January by the UK Minister for cost around £3.9bn and climate change and energy, Ed Miliband MP. Feasibil‐ would generate be‐ ity studies into the five possibilities shortlisted will tween 2.3 and 2.6 Ter‐ now be undertaken to examine their socio‐economic, awatt‐Hours per year, environmental and technical requirements and limita‐ compared to the Car‐ tions. diff‐Weston barrage plan’s estimated The shortlist includes three barrage projects and two 16.8TWh per year. tidal lagoon projects. The barrage choices include the Cardiff‐Weston scheme, the most well known tidal energy scheme, which has an estimated cost of £20.9bn The prospect of a pos‐ and would generate about 5 per cent of the UK’s elec‐ sible barrage in the tricity. The other two schemes – the Shoots and Ed Miliband, Minister for Energy Severn Estuary has Beachley barrages – would be smaller and further up‐ and Climate Change brought together an stream, with lower generating capacity than the Car‐ unlikely alliance of en‐ diff‐Weston project but also coming at a lower cost, vionmentalists concerned about the impact on bird both in financial and environmental terms. and marine life and also people in the shipping indus‐ try worried about the impact on ports along the Sev‐ The two tidal lagoon projects would be situated on the ern Estuary. The Welsh Secretary, Paul Murphy MP, English and Welsh sides of the Severn Estuary. The urged caution. He said: “I don’t think we can rush it, Fleming lagoon outside Newport and the Bridgwater we have to take the right decision. It’s a decision that Bay Lagoon between Hinkley Point and Weston‐super will have enormous implications.” Issue 14 — February 2009 IWA and Grayling’s recent activity The Institute of Welsh Affairs publications…. Keep your ear to the ground with Grayling Political Strategy…… Unpacking the Progressive Consensus Keeping up to date with political decisions and develop‐ The inaugural number of The Cardiff Bay Papers, a ments in the National Assembly for Wales is essential collaboration between the IWA and the Wales Govern‐ for effective communication in Wales. ance Centre at Cardiff University. The volume explores exactly what a ʹprogressive consensusʹ governing the If you are not careful these activities can eat into the time political, economic and social life of Wales could mean. you have available for developing policy and for face to face contact with key opinion leaders and stakeholders.